When a commercial space serves more than one purpose, the challenge for the design team often hinges on creating a clear division between the operations while also achieving a cohesive aesthetic. This was certainly the case at the Texas Ale Project. This new craft brewery contains manufacturing operations (laboratory, 30-barrel brewing system, and raw material storage), wholesale keg sales, office space, high capacity coolers, and a tasting room,: all within 14,500 sq. feet of new construction in the Dallas Design District near the heart of downtown Dallas.
Unlike the multi-use spaces of yesteryear, where manufacturing and back of the house operations were hidden from the sight of patrons, Texas Ale Project highlights the brewing process by offering full views of the manufacturing floor from the tasting room, appropriately referred to as the T.A.P. room.
Staying true to the industrial feel of the space, while also delivering a polished aesthetic, Dallas-based design firm The Orion Collection turned to Crossville for suitable tile collections to finish the tasting room. Dark, textural Laminam Oxide 3 Grigio was specified for the T.A.P. room walls, while Laminam Oxide 3 Nero was installed on the columnar walls. For the floors, specifiers opted for Crossville’s Basalt porcelain tile collection in the Bedrock colour: a rich co-ordinate to the Laminam-skinned walls.
To add visual interest to the walls, the design team selected an antique spalted maple to contrast with the sleek Laminam porcelain tile panels. The maple wood was repurposed from an industrial warehouse and replaned to cover a portion of the remaining walls, as well as the base of the bar. The pairing of the tile with the wood creates a visual that is both quaint and sophisticated; creating an entirely appropriate industrial chic look.
The brewery’s restrooms were also finished with Crossville porcelain. Basalt in Bedrock was specified for the floors; while the walls were clad with Basalt in the Caldera colour option. Laminam Oxide 3 Grigio was fixed to the wall of the brewery space that leads to the office area; with Basalt Bedrock porcelain was used on the CEO’s office walls.
A new post by Joe Simpson, Diary of a Tiler Addict, October 2017.
